Saudi Gazette Report

RIYADH — The Ministry of Interior issued a statement on Thursday listing the penalties for private sector establishments that violate preventive measures against coronavirus.

The ministry also clarified several actions that will be construed as violations of preventive protocols approved by the competent authority to confront the COVID-19 pandemic.

They include most notably:

1. Not checking the health status of individuals through the Tawakkalna app.

2. Allowing unvaccinated individuals to enter the premises.

3. Failure to obligate employees to conduct examinations.

4. Allowing in employees who refuse to wear a medical mask, a cloth mask, or whatever that covers the nose and mouth.

5. Allow entry to a person who has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus

6. Failure to provide sterilizers and disinfectants inside the facility.

7. Failure to disinfect and sterilize shopping baskets and carts after each use in supermarkets.

8. Non-compliance with disinfection facilities and surfaces inside the establishments.

The ministry confirmed that in case of con-compliance, violation tickets is issued according to the size and the number of employees in the establishments, which are divided into four categories:

1. Micro establishment, with 1 to 5 employees. The individual responsible for the violation will be punished with a fine of SR10.000.

2. The small-sized establishment, with 6 to 49 employees. The responsible individual will be punished with a fine amounting to SR20.000.

3. Medium-sized establishment, with 50 to 249 employees. The responsible individual will be punished with a fine of SR50,000.

4. The big-scale establishment, with 250 or more employees. The person responsible for the violation will be slapped with a fine of SR100.000.

The penalty will be doubled in case of repeat offenses and can reach SR200,000, the ministry said, while noting that the entity within its supervisory scope will also face closure for a period not exceeding six months.

The ministry confirmed that the person who is responsible for a facility will be punished according to its specified size.

Additionally, in case of repeating the violation, the person who is responsible for the facility will be referred to the Public Prosecution to consider his imprisonment, and this will be in accordance with the legal procedures.

The ministry noted in its statement that restaurants and cafes are exempted from the closure period as stated earlier. For them the closure period will be on an hourly basis.

1. In the event of a single violation, the closure period will be for one hour only.

2. If the violation has been repeated for the second time, the period of closure will be 48 hours.

3. The closing period will be one week for the third time.

4. Repeating the violation for the fourth time will bring two weeks’ closure.

5. If the violation has been continued for the fifth time, the shutdown will be for one full month.